TV News: Defenders, Doyle, Sugar, Guerrilla

The Defenders
Though we know the four title stars of the various Netflix Marvel shows will be a part of “The Defenders” event series, there’s still the question as to what supporting cast members from the various series will also be involved.

The first announcement was for Jessica Jones’ heroin-addict neighbor Malcolm (Eka Darville), and now Elden Henson has reportedly confirmed that he will reprise his role of Foggy Nelson in the show and it will be a sizable one in this story. “The Defenders” is expected to air late next year. [Source: MCU Exchange]

Houdini and Doyle
Following tepid ratings, the freshman period drama “Houdini and Doyle” has been canceled by FOX after one season. The ten-episode series followed magician Harry Houdini (Michael Weston) and “Sherlock Holmes” author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Stephen Mangan) as they investigate several mysterious deaths. [Source: THR]

Queen Sugar
OWN has renewed the Ava DuVernay and and Oprah Winfrey produced new scripted series “Queen Sugar” for a second season of sixteen episodes ahead of the show’s first season premiere on September 6th.

The story chronicles the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings in Louisiana – one a world-wise journalist and activist, one the wife and manager of a professional basketball star, and one a formerly incarcerated young father in search of redemption – all brought together to run an ailing sugarcane farm in the Deep South. [Source: Variety]

Guerrilla
The full cast has been announced for the Showtime-Sky miniseries “Guerrilla” which is set against a backdrop of 1970s radicalism in London and begins filming this week. Idris Elba and Freida Pinto have already been announced as part of the six-episode drama which is being written, directed and executive produced by John Ridley.

Joining them are Babou Ceesay (“Getting On”) as political activist Marcus, whose partner Jas is being played by Pinto; Rory Kinnear (“Penny Dreadful”) and Daniel Mays (“Line of Duty”) will play Pence and Cullen, two cops “assigned to a secret Special Branch unit that targets black activists”; and Zawe Ashton (“Fresh Meat”) will play Omega “who views herself as a leader within the black community.” [Source: Variety]